Improvement in means for reefing and furling sails



-E. RAWLEY.

Means for Reefng and Furlng Sails.

.Patentedl Oct. 5,1

"WENT N. PETERS, PH

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEt EDWARD RAWLEY, OF NORTH UNION, MAINE.

IMPROVEMEN'I IN MEANS FOR REEFING AND FURLING SAILS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 168,414, dated October 5, 1875 application led August 21, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWARD RAWLEY, of North Union, in the county of Knox and State of Maine, have invented a new and Improved Mainsail, of which the following is a specification The accompanying drawing represents aside elevation of my mainsail improvement.

The invention relates to an improvement in the rig of fore-and-aft vessels of the class in which a triangular sail is arranged directly above tile lnainsail.

The invention consists in so arranging a single rope that it performs the oce of a halyard for the triangular sail and mainsail-gat'; also a stay for the former, as hereinafter described.

In the drawing, A is the mainsail, and B a triangular sail, arranged intcrmediately between the top-sail G and the gaff D of the mainsail. The triangular sail B is applied without blocks at the two lower corners to the gaif, its upper or top corner being raised or lowered by a single halyard and tackle-block b. The narrow side of the sail near the mast runs by rings d along the gahalyard E. The triangular sail is readily raised and dropped, being reefed to the gait in the customary manner. The use of the intermediate triangular sail allows the easier handling and control of the mainsail, while giving the same surface to the wind.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat-- entlhe combination of rope E with mainsailgaff D and triangular sail B, all arranged as shown and described, wherebyit performs the function of a halyard and stay, as set forth.

EDWARD RAWLEY. Witnesses H. BLIss, Jr., E. G. WEBBER. 

